Cloth-clamp for textile machinery.



No. 7|0,799. Patented Oct. 7,1902.

4 I. F. PECK. CLOTH CLAMP FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1992.

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

am wean: 6

atto'cneq we -0Rm5 PEI'EEG 20., Puma-Mme" WAEHINGTOH. c. c.

No. 7|0,799. Patented Oct. 7, I902.l

|. F. PECK.

CLOTH CLAMP FOB TEXTILE MACHINERY.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1902.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

awe/two's I Ian J wi/hwxaoco I 5 1% 22/ 2 N0. 7l0,799. Patented Oct. 7,I902.

- I. F. PEEK.

CLOTH'CLAMP FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1902. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shut 3.

wi l cacao {Y 1 m @2 aka ana Uwrrnn STATES PATENT Orricn.

IRA F. PECK, OF AUBURN, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO \VINSOR &

JERAULD MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF PROVIDENCE, RI-IODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CLOTH-CLAMP FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 710,799, dated October'7, 1902.

Application filed February 27, 1902. Serial No. 95,898. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

30 it known that I, IRA F. PEOK, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Auburn, in the State of Rhode Island, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth-Clamps for TextileMachinery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cloth clamps or clips of that classknownautomatic clips; and it consists in certain novel combinations of parts,including spring-pressure devices, hereinafter set forth and claimed.The combination in one and the same clamp of the automatic principle andthe springpressure principle in various ways is set forth in UnitedStates Letters Patent heretofore granted to Robert P. 'Winsor, No.604,103, dated May 17, 1898; No. 644,543, dated Feb ruary 27, 1900, andNo. 667,159, dated January 29,1901. In all the several clamps set forthin said XVinsor patents the spring is applied to the movable jaw, as inthe spring-clamps formerly in use and, in common with the lat ter, failsto relieve the clamps from one limitation or difficulty in theiradaptation to the different conditions under which they must operate.

The difficulty to whichI refer may be stated as follows: In practice theleading end of the cloth as it enters the tentering-machiue is sewed bya cross-seam to the preceding piece, and this is repeated for successivepieces, so as to have a steady run of cloth into the machine. Now ineach clamp the jaws must fit very accurately and be perfectly parallel.They should fit so close as to be almost lightproof, and either end ofthe clamp should hold the thinnest tissue-paper. The movable jaw issupported above (or beneath) the clothplate in all automatic clamps byan arm or arms, usually two, and the clamp is organized with referenceto retaining the movable jaw in effective position; but if a seam, asabove referred to, gets into a clamp at either end it is practicallycertain to spring the arm or arms and cause the two jaws to get out ofparallel, which renders the clamp thereafter unfit for nice work. Thistrouble has been a great source of annoyance to users of automaticclamps.

The leading object of the present invention is to render the clampyielding at eithcrend, so that itmayaccommodate itself to a seam at anypoint without injurious strain.

Another object 'is to apply the spring or springs to thecloth-plateinstead of to the arm or arms, and thus to incorporate theadvantages of spring-pressu re in'a large class of such clamps to whichit has not heretofore been applicable-namely, those in which the arm orarms project rigidly from the tenterchainlink or body of the clamp.

Other objects are to provide for the use of a pair of short spiralsprings beneath a looselyhinged cloth-plate as theimproved spring deviceand in this connection to facilitate adjusting the clamp and regulatingthe springpressure as to tension.

Three sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a sectional plan view of animproved cloth-clamp. Figs. 2 and 3 are end views of the same, theformer partly in section, showing the movable jaw and controller intheir elevated positions and their lowered or working positions,respectively. Fig. 4 is a front elevation projected from Fig. 3. Fig. 5is a sectional plan view of anotherim proved clamp. Figs. 6 and 7 areend views thereof, illustrating its operation. Fig. 8 is a front viewprojected from Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a top view of another improved clamp.Figs. 10 and 11 are end views thereof, illustrating its operation; andFig. 12 is a front view projected from Fig. 11.

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts in all the figures.

The main body of the improved clamp in either species conveniently formsa link of a tentering-chain, as is customary, and comprises, preferably,a pair of rigid arms land 2, to the free ends of which the movable upperjaw a of the clamp is pivoted by a horizontal rod 3. The other jaw b isin the form of or comprises the customary cloth-plate, and a controller0 or c prevents the descent of the movable jaw into eifectivepositionuntil the selvage isdrawn from beneath the controller, so that theselvage itself may be held between the jaws.

Moreover, in all the spe-' cies a spring-pressure device comprising aspring or springs (Z or d or (Z is so applied as to permit a seam or thelike to he accommodated between either end of the movable jaw and thecloth-plate without straining said arms or any other part of the clamp.In all the species, moreover, the movable jaw ct is provided with theusual rigid ing 4, by which to open the clamp to receive the cloth, anda stop device, comprising a stop or stops 5 or 5, limits an appreciabletravel of the movable jaw with the cloth,(represented bydotted lines ata in Figs. 3, 7, and 11,) as in said Winsor clamps. In the speciesrepresented by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the hinge-rod 3 forms, in connectionwith the coacting parts of the arms 1 and 2 and the movable jaw a, anordinary hinge, such as is usually employed for the movable jaw of anadjustable clamp. The cloth-plate b is rendered vertically movable by aloose hinge'joint 6, attaching it at its rear edge to said body of theclamp in such manner as to permit either end of the cloth-plate to beraised or lowered relatively to the other end, as well as to permit thecloth-plate as a whole to move on the axis of said hinge-joint, and apair of the springs d are arranged in sockets 7 beneath the respectiveends of the clothplate, being supported beneath by screwplugs 8, Fig. 2.The upward movement of the cloth-plate is limited by stops 9 at itsends, as best seen in Fig. 4. A pair of short spiral springs sufice inthis arrangement,and the adjustment of the clamp is very easily effectedby regulating the respective springs as to tension by means of thescrew-plugs. The controller 0 in this as in any other form of theimproved clamp may be of any known or improved construction adapted topermit said travel of the movable jaw a with the cloth. The specificdevice represented consists of a bar having a pivotal and slidingmovement, being hinged to a projection 10 on the back of the movable jawand sliding back and forth at its rearend on a rod 11, bridging thespace between the arms 1 and 2 parallel with said hinge-rod 3 andoccupying a longitudinal slot in the controller. The front end of thecontroller c rests at first upon the cloth, as in Fig. 2, above thecustomary slot 12 in the clothplate I), and when the selvage passes it,drops through the slot, as in Fig. 3, and permits the movable jaw ct tobite the cloth. A pair of stops on one or each of the arms 1 and 2 andon the movable jaw a, respectively, constituting said stop device 5,limits the travel of the movable jaw Ct with the cloth,as aforesaid.Such travel is freely permitted by said slot in the controller 0, and atits limit, when the stops at 5 come together, the cloth is held with themaximum power of the clamp, determined by the strength of the spring d.

In the species represented by Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 the movable jaw a andthe cloth-plate Z) are hinged as above described with reference to Figs.1, 2, 3, and at. The controller 0 is of the construction there shown, asbefore middle and upwardly against the cloth-plate b at its respectiveextremities, takes the place of the pair of springs in the firstspecies, with their appurtenances. A horizontal rod 14,

held at its ends in those members of the stops 9 that are fast on thebody of the clamp, supports the spring (1 in eifective position.

In the species represented by Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 the rod 3, thathinges the movable jaw a, is mounted in a pair of boxes 15, slidablevertically in notches in the free ends of the arms 1 and 2, and twopairs of wire springs d rigidly attached to the sides of the arms 1 and2, press downwardly on said boxes as the equivalent of theupwardly-pressing springs in the first and second species. It will beunderstood that in this arrangement the movable jaw a yields upwardly ateither or both ends, and the cloth-plate b is rigidlysupported beneathby the body of the clamp, asin Fig. 10 and 11. A different form ofcontroller 0, which it projects rigidly from the jaw a, is shown in thisspecies, and also a diiferent form of stop device 5, the fixed member ofwhich is supported by a bar 16, conmeeting the arms 1 and 2 near theirfree ends, and coacts with the lug 4, by which the movable jaw isoperated to open the clamp, as above described.

Other forms and arrangements of the springs and stops, a pair of shortpivots taking the place of either of the hinge-rods 3, and other likemodifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I

In the appended claims the term arms will be used to signify one or morearms performing the functions of the arms 1 and 2.

The term vertically movable is used to distinguish the movability of thehinge-rod 3 or its equivalent and the cloth-plate b from the pivotalmovement of the jaw a.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention anddesire to patent under this specification 1. A cloth-clamp for textilemachinery having, in combination with a pivotally-movable jaw, ahinge-rod therefor and a cloth-plate opposed to said jaw and hinge-rod,one of them vertically movable relatively to the other at either end ofthe clamp, and a spring device whereby such vertically-movable part isyieldingly supported in effective position; the clamping-space betweenthe jaw and the clothplate being thus adapted to enlarge itself ateither end of the clamp, for the accommodation of inequalities of thecloth.

2. A cloth-clamp for textile machinery having, in combination with arigid body portion and with a pivotally-movable .jaw, a horizontal rodon which said jaw is hinged and a cloth plate normally parallel withsaid rod, one of them Vertically movable relatively to the other ateither end of the clamp, and a spring device whereby such vertically-movable part is yieidingly supported in normal position at its respectiveends; the clampingspace between the jaw and the cloth-plate being thusadapted to enlarge itself at either or both ends of the clamp withoutstraining the rigid portions of the clamp.

3. A cloth-clamp for textile machinery having, in combination with arigid body portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms and with apivotally-movable jaw hinged to said arms, a yielding cloth-supportoverhung by said arms, pressing upwardly against said movable jaw at therespective ends of the clamp; whereby the clamping-space between saidjaw and said cloth-support is adapted to enlarge itself at either orboth ends without straining said arms.

45. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms, a movable jaw hingedto said arms, a clotl1plate overhung by said arms and opposed to saidmovable jaw, a spring device supporting said cloth-plate in normalposition andrendering the same yielding, and stops limiting the returnmovements of said cloth-plate.

5. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms, a movable jaw hingedto said arms, a cloth-plate overhung by said arms and opposed to saidmovable jaw, and a spring device supporting said cloth-plate in normalposition and rendering the same yielding.

6. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion construct-ed with jaw-supporting arms,a movable jaw, ahorizontal red by which said jaw is hinged to said arms, a cloth-plateoverhung by said arms and normally parallel with said rod, a loosehinge-joint connecting said clothplate with the body of the clamp andrendering it vertically movable at its respective ends, a spring devicesupporting said clothplate in normal position and rendering the sameyielding, and stops limiting the return movements of said cloth-plate.

7. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms, a movable jaw, ahorizontal rod by which said jaw is hinged to said arms, a cloth-plateoverhung by said arms and normally parallel with said rod, a loosehinge-joint connecting said clothplate with the body of the clamp andrendering it vertically movable at its respective ends, and a springdevice supporting said cloth-plate in normal position and rendering thesame yielding.

8. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion, constructed with jaw-supporting arms, a movable jaw, ahorizontal rod by which said jaw is hinged to said arms, a cloth-plateoverhung by said arms and normally parallel with said rod, a hinge-rod,parallel with the rod first mentioned, on which said cloth-plate ismovable, and a spring device whereby said clothplate is pressed againstsaid movable jaw.

9. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms, a movable jaw hingedto said arms, a cloth-plate overhung by said arms and having thecustomary controller-admitting slot, a controller regulating themovement of said jaw into effective position and permitting a limitedtravel of the jaw with the cloth, a loose joint rendering saidcloth-plate movable, and a spring device beneath the cloth-plateadapting it to yield to inequalities in the cloth.

10. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms, a movable jaw hingedto said arms, a cloth-plate hinged to the body portion and overhung bysaid arms, a controller regulating the move ment of said jaw intoeffective position, means for stopping said jaw in such position, and aspring device pressing the cloth-plate against the jaw in such effectiveposition of the latter.

11. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms,a movable jaw hingedto said arms, a cloth-plate overhung by said arms and loosely attachedto said body portion, and springs beneath the respective ends of saidcloth-plate rendering such respective ends yielding.

12. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms,a movable jaw hingedto said arms, a cloth-plate overhung by said arms and loosely attachedto said body portion, springs beneath the respective ends of saidcloth-plate, rendering such respective ends yielding, and stops limitingthe return movements of said clothplate.

13. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms,a movable jaw hingedto said arms, a cloth-plate overhung by said arms and loosely attachedto said body portion, springs beneath the respective ends of saidcloth-plate rendering such respective ends yielding, and means forregulating said springs respectively as to tension.

1 A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a rigidbody portion constructed with jaw-supporting arms,a mov able jaw hingedto said arms, a cloth-plate overhung by said arms and loosely hinged tosaid body portion, the axes of the hinges of said jaw and plate beingparallel with each other, springs beneath the respective ends of saidcloth-plate whereby said plate is yieldingly pressed against said jaw,and means for a spring device beneath the cloth-plate comprising a pairof short spiral springs beneath the respective ends of the cloth-plate,screwstopping said jaw and plate in normal position.

15. A cloth-clamp, for textile machinery, having in combination a bodyportion constructed withjaw-supporting arms, a movable I jaw hinged tosaid arms, a cloth-plate loosely ing them adjustable as to tension, andstops limiting the upward movement of said clothhinged to said bodyportion and provided With plate.

the customary controller-admitting slot a controller limiting themovement of the jaw IRA PECK' into efiective position and slotted topermit Witnesses:

WM. M. RHODES,

the limited travel of the jaw with the cloth,

WILLIs S. KNOWLES;

stops for limiting such travel of the jaw, and

plugs beneath the respective springs, render-

